Difference Between Compost and Vermicompost

Agriculture is an important contributor to the GDP of India, and in agriculture, one of the main contributors is manure. Manure is the basic ingredient for achieving high yields in farming. Manure is the product that enhances the vital nutrients in the soil, and it can be of many types, including farmyard manure, compost, green manure, etc. Compost refers to the byproducts created when organic matter is biodegraded, whereas vermicompost refers to the final product created when organic matter is degraded. Vermicompost is a type of compost that is made by using earthworms. The basic difference between compost and vermicompost is that the former is a crumbly mass of rotten organic matter generated from decomposed plant materials and food wastes by the action of microorganisms, whereas the latter is a humus-like substance created from organic waste using worms and microorganisms.

What is Compost?

Compost is made through the process of composting. In the process of composting, organic waste naturally breaks down in an environment that is rich in oxygen to form compost. Composting depends upon various environmental factors including temperature, oxygen, and moisture. Compost is used as a plant fertilizer in crops to enhance the soil’s biological, chemical, and physical properties. Compost is formed by decaying food waste, plants, organic materials, and manure. Compost plays an important role in organic farming where chemicals or any kind of synthetic fertilizers are not allowed. There are many benefits of compost in farming as it enhances soil structure, offers a variety of plant nutrients, increases the number of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, and, often after many years of application, it increases crop production.

What is Vermicompost?

Vermicompost is a form of compost that involves the use of earthworms. Vermicompost is essentially the decomposition of organic waste products with the help of earthworms. Vermicomposting is the process of creating vermicompost, and vermiculture is the practice of raising worms for this purpose. The process of vermicomposting begins with the introduction of earthworms into the soil. These worms consume biomass as their feed, and then they expel this digested material as a humus-like material known as vermicompost. The most common species of earthworm used for vermicomposting are Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei. Vermicompost enhances the physical composition of the soil, aids in seed germination, plant development, and crop yield, and raises the soil’s fertility and water resistance. Vermicompost is used in organic, sustainable farming and gardening.

Difference Between Compost and Vermicompost

Basis of comparison	Compost	Vermicompost
Definition	Compost is made up of all types of waste products.	Vermicompost is made up of only organic waste products.
Process of making compost	Compost is made from waste that has undergone biological breakdown by using microbes.	Vermicompost is produced when the decomposition of organic waste occurs and to speed up the decomposition, earthworms are used.
Benefits	It provides nutrients that are soluble in water, acts as a soil conditioner, and is used to treat sewage.	Providing nutrients to crops, acting as a soil conditioner, and increasing humus in the soil.
Nutrient content	Less	More
Space required	More	Less
Microbes used	Thermophilic Bacteria	Mesophilic Bacteria
Number of labors	More	Less
Maintenance	More	Less
Plant growth regulator	Absent	Present
Time required for its formation	More	Less
Rich in	Micronutrients, Hormones, and trace elements such as Zinc, Boron, Copper, etc.	Micronutrients and trace elements such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, etc
Cost of making	Low	High

Conclusion

Both compost and vermicompost are two different types of manures that increase the nutrients in the soil. Compost is made from decaying plant materials and food waste by using microorganisms. Vermicompost is a type of compost in which earthworms are used to decompose plant material. Both compost and vermicompost are similar in some terms and different in some terms. Both don’t cause any type of pollution in the environment, and on the other hand, compost takes much more time its prepare as compared to vermicompost. 

FAQs

Q1. In Compost and vermicompost, which is superior in terms of nutrients?

Ans. The compost is deficient in nutrients compared to vermicompost. Earthworms, white worms, and other worm species participate in the vermicomposting process, which results in a vermicompost that is rich in minerals and micronutrients.

Q2. What is Composting?

Ans. Composting is the process under which organic waste naturally breaks down in an environment that is rich in oxygen to form compost.

Q3. What is Vermicompost?

Ans. Vermicompost is the product of vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is the process by which we decay organic matter by using earthworms and other worms to produce vermicompost.

Q4. What are Two Similarities between compost and vermicompost?

Ans. The two similarities between compost and vermicompost are:

1. Both don’t cause any pollution in the environment.
2. Both are types of manures.

Q5. What are the Benefits of Vermicompost?

Ans. Vermicompost doesn’t cause any pollution in the environment, it increases the nutrient availability in the soil, it also enhances the soil properties and it also improves the quality of crops.